Police Officer Trainee

Salary : $88,441.60 - $130,644.80 Annually
Location : Anaheim Police Department, CA
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 2026-00150
Department: Police
Opening Date: 07/20/2026
Closing Date: 8/10/2026 5:00 PM Pacific


Description
The City of Anaheim Police Department is seeking highly motivated individuals interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement. Police Officer Trainee is a non-sworn classification, participating in required law enforcement training in order to develop and meet the requirements of the entry-level Police Officer classification.
Upon successful completion of required training and graduation from the P.O.S.T. Basic Police Academy, Police Officer Trainees are eligible to be promoted to the position of Police Officer on a probationary basis. As a condition of continued employment, incumbents must earn and maintain a POST Basic Certificate upon completion of probation as a Police Officer. All non-probationary Police Officers must possess and maintain a valid POST Basic Certificate or higher for continued employment.
For more information about the hiring process, please visit .
Essential Functions
The following functions are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed functions and/or may be required to perform additional or different functions from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Attend, participate, and successfully progress through pre-academy training and orientation program(s) and a California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) approved Basic Police Academy. The components of the pre-academy and academy training include, but are not limited to: Leadership, professionalism, ethics, cultural diversity and discrimination awareness, criminal justice system, criminal law and statutes, juvenile law and procedure, laws of arrest, search and seizure, preservation and presentation of evidence, criminal investigation, report writing, emergency vehicle operations, patrol techniques, community policing and collaborative problem solving, vehicle pullovers, traffic enforcement, traffic collision investigation, arrest and control methods, defensive tactics, use of force, handling disputes, crime scene investigation, collection and processing of forensic evidence, care and proficient use of firearms and chemical agents, gang awareness, narcotics recognition and enforcement, and emergency management.

• Participate in training programs in order to develop an awareness of the duties, activities, and responsibilities of a Police Officer.

• Participate in physical fitness, agility, and conditioning exercises and self-defense exercises, first aid and CPR.

• Learn, understand and interpret various laws, police practices, and procedures, including the principles of community-oriented policing.

• Analyze problems and ability to learn how to rationally and calmly take appropriate action in stressful situations.

• Prepare accurate and grammatically correct written reports and solve basic arithmetic problems.

• May be required to work with and around specially trained police dogs.

• Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

Qualifications
Training/Educatio n : Graduation from an accredited High School or successful completion of the G.E.D (General Educational Development) exam.


Abilities : Must be physically fit to perform the essential functions, including corrected or uncorrected vision of 20/20 or better; physical strength and agility to perform foot pursuit and physical restraint of suspects. Must have ability to communicate clearly and accurately, both orally and in writing; exercise tact, self-restraint and good judgment; demonstrate collaborative problem-solving skills; and establish and maintain effective relationships with those contacted in the course of employment.


License Required : Possession of a valid California Driver's License by date of appointment and as a condition of continued employment.
Additional Requirements:

• At least 21 years of age upon completion of the academy training.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law.
• Employees of the Anaheim Police Department must be permanent and fulltime residents of the State of California and live within a one hundred (100) mile radius of the City of Anaheim.

Note: Upon successful completion of required training and graduation from the P.O.S.T. Basic Police Academy, Police Officer Trainees are eligible to be promoted to the position of Police Officer on a probationary basis. As a condition of continued employment, incumbents must earn and maintain a POST Basic Certificate upon completion of probation as a Police Officer. All non-probationary Police Officers must possess and maintain a valid POST Basic Certificate or higher for continued employment.

Environmental Conditions : Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents may be exposed to smoke/fumes/gas, live electricity, excessive heat/cold, inclement weather, high frequency noise, dirt/dust, grease/oil, chemicals and solvents/toxic agents and may infrequently be exposed to radiation, treated water, and pesticides.


Physical Conditions : Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to stand, sit in a patrol car for long periods, walk; lift, carry, and pull up to 165 pounds; push; climb walls, fences, stairs and ladders, work at heights above ten feet and in confined spaces, stoop, twist, squat/kneel, crawl, run, grasp, repeatedly bend and move wrists, use both hands, legs and feet; speak, hear and understand radio communications, touch/feel, see at a distance and up close and have depth perception and normal color vision.

Supplemental Information
*** IMPORTANT APPLICATION INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS ***


Applications will be accepted until Monday, August 10, 2026 at 5:00PM Applicants are encouraged to apply early. Applications will not be accepted after this deadline.


Recruitment Steps:

1. Written Exam - POST PELLETB - tentatively scheduled for August 27 & 28, 2026 . The City of Anaheim utilizes the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery (PELLETB).


The for the POST Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery has been developed to provide helpful information about test format and content. This guide explains exactly what is tested in the exam and provides sample questions that can be used for practice. This guide also provides research-based information on the best strategies for answering test questions.

Applicants may not take the POST PELLETB within 30 calendar days of taking the exam with another department/agency.
PELLETB Waiver: Applicants who have taken the PELLETB within 365 days of application and achieved a T-score of T-51 or higher may request a waiver from the written exam. Applicants requesting to waive the written exam are required to submit proof of their qualifying T-score on agency letterhead from the agency that administered the exam. Screenshots of the letter will not be accepted. Applicants who possess a qualifying T-score must attach the required documentation to their application.


Applicants who possess a valid POST basic academy completion certificate must attach a copy of their certificate to their application.

*** PLEASE DO NOT ATTACH ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS TO YOUR APPLICATION EXCEPT WHAT IS REQUESTED ABOVE. ***

2. Physical Ability Test, Oral Interview & Pre-Background Screening - tentatively scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2026.


Applicants who achieve a passing T-score of T-51 or higher on the written exam or submitted a T-score waiver or submitted a valid academy completion certificate will be invited to the physical ability test.


The physical ability test is a series of events and obstacles that candidates must successfully complete.
Applicants who achieve a passing score on the physical ability test will be invited to participate in the oral interview process. Successful candidates will be interviewed by a background investigator after the oral interview.


The following documents are required and must be completed and brought to the oral interview:

• Required Documents
• Applicant Autobiography

Please provide as many of the required documents along with your Preliminary Background Information Form / PHS, BIQ, and Applicant Autobiography. Items such as transcripts, credit report or other missing documents can be provided upon your receiving them.


Further selection steps include, but are not limited to a background investigation, polygraph examination, psychological evaluation, a medical examination, which includes drug/alcohol screening, and an interview with the Chief of Police. The interview with the background investigator and completion of the background investigation will include, but is not limited to, verification and evaluation of any present and/or past use of drugs, driving and employment history.


Please review the following common disqualifiers. If any items listed pertain to you, you will be automatically disqualified in the background investigation. You may, at this time, want to screen yourself and withdraw prior to starting the recruitment process.

• Any illegal use, sales, or possession of a drug classified as an opiate (heroin, opium, etc.) or PCP.
• Any use of cocaine, methamphetamine, hallucinogens (GHB, MDMA/ecstasy, ketamine, etc.) within five years of date of application.
• Any illegal use of anabolic steroids within three years of date of application.
• Two or more at-fault traffic collisions within three years of the date of application.
• Conviction of a hit-and run offense.
• Any driver's license suspension within five years of date of application.
• Conviction of a felony crime.
• Conviction of any misdemeanor crime within five years of application.
• Any conviction as an adult, of any misdemeanor crime involving domestic violence, sexual-related offenses or crimes against children.
• Any conviction as an adult, of a theft or larceny crime.

The following may result in disqualification :

• Use of cocaine, methamphetamine, hallucinogens (GHB, MDMA/ecstasy, ketamine, etc.) previous to five years of application.
• Prior nitrous oxide use.
• Illegal use of anabolic steroids previous to three years of application.
• Illegal use of a hypodermic needle/ syringe.
• A pattern or history of irresponsibility as evidenced by debt collections, civil judgments, failure to pay, late payments, etc.
• More than one moving violation in the past 12 months, and/or three or more moving citations within the past three years, and/or five or more moving citations within the past five years of date of application.

Candidates must be specific and complete in describing their qualifications for this position. Stating "See Resume" is not an acceptable substitute for a completed application. Failure to state all pertinent information may lead to elimination from consideration.


The City of Anaheim uses E-Verify and new employees must provide documentation to establish both work authorization and identity.


Communication regarding your application and/or status will be sent to the email address listed on your application. Please check your email regularly throughout the recruitment process.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Anaheim offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of voluntary benefits. Programs and benefits amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.

To view the current benefits summary, visit:

For additional information about the City's benefits, visit:


RETIREMENT BENEFITS - The City contracts with the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) to provide retirement benefits. Retirement formula is based on appointment date and membership status with CalPERS.


Note : Pension contribution limitations are set by CalPERS each calendar year, with compensation limit requirements for Public Employee Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) members and Classic members. Employee contributions will be deposited into a 401(a) account after reaching this limit. Employees with CalPERS membership dates prior to July 1, 1996 are not impacted by these limits.


To view the current limits and additional CalPERS information, visit:


01


The following Supplemental Questionnaire is part of the examination for this position and will be used to evaluate your qualifications. Based upon the application and responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the best qualified candidates will be invited to participate in the recruitment process. Please read each question carefully and provide a thorough and complete response, detailing your education and work experience. Failure to fully detail all experience or stating experience in response to the supplemental questions but not listing the experience in the application, copy/pasting information, or responses such as "See Resume" or "See Application" will result in your application not being considered. You will not have an opportunity to provide additional information if your application is not selected to proceed in the recruitment process, so you should be sure to detail all relevant education and work experience within your application and supplemental questionnaire.Do you understand this requirement?

• Yes
• No

02


I certify that I have read and understand the Automatic and Discretionary Disqualifiers associated with this position.

• Yes
• No

03


Our primary means of communication about candidate recruitment status is email. Have you provided a valid email address that you can access regularly? PLEASE NOTE: Make sure you check your JUNK folder for email messages that were incorrectly marked as spam.

• I acknowledge I have read and understand the above information.

04


Have you taken the POST PELLETB within 365 days of application and achieved a T-score of T-51 or higher? Please be sure to attach your letter to your application.

• Yes
• No

05


Do you possess a valid POST basic academy completion certificate? Please attach to your application.

• Yes
• No

06


The following documents are required and must be completed and brought to the oral interview testing process: - Preliminary Background Information form - Background Investigation Questionnaire (BIQ) - Required Documents - Applicant Autobiography PLEASE NOTE: Applicants who do not bring the required documents to the oral interview testing process will be automatically disqualified. Do you understand this requirement?

• Yes
• No

07


Have you graduated from an accredited high school or successfully completed the G.E.D. exam?

• Yes
• No

08


Applicants must be at least 20 years of age at the time of application and a minimum of 21 years of age upon completion of the academy training. Do you understand this requirement?

• Yes
• No

09


Do you currently possess a valid California Class C driver's license?

• Yes, I have a California Class C driver's license
• No, but I am able to obtain one by date of hire.
• No, and I am unable to obtain one

10


Are you a military veteran?

• Yes
• No

11


How did you become aware of this career opportunity?

• Anaheim Police Department Website
• City of Anaheim Career Website
• Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) Website
• Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Website
• Social Media
• Other

Required Question